Thank you for the reviews! Sorry for taking so long to update.. My computer decided to not turn on for the past two days :/
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There were no mirrors in my torture house, so I had relied on the windows to see my changes. But the windows had lied. They contorted my face, making me believe I was some what healthy even though I did not feel it. They added meat to my frail figure, even though I saw bones when I looked down.
Looking into the mirror, another first in two years, in the bathroom off of my room, I see death. My once blue-grey eyes are shallow and cold. I raise my hand to my cheeks which have sunken in, outlining my cheek bones greatly. My dark brown hair had life back in Wyoming. Here, the waves are limp and slick from grease. Everything about me is bones; from my fingers to my legs.
I am also much taller. Hadn´t I noticed I was getting closer to him in height? I could almost look at him straight in the eyes. He got mad at me and beat me for one month straight. That month I had to sneak eating food. I shudder at the memory of one of the worst months. I had been a petite 5'4" when this night mare first began. Now I am 'an astonishing 5'9"' according to Dr. Cullen.
I sight as I turn on the water to fill up the tub. How long has it been since my last bath? Six months? I can´t remember, nor do I want to. Will I ever be beautiful again? I ask myself, looking back into the mirror. I had been considered one of the most beautiful gir-
"Hi," a deep male voice interrupts my thoughts. I scream, spinning around to face my intruder. I am still fully clothed, but that doesn´t stop my instincts from taking over.
The man in the doorway could pass as Jacob´s brother. Even with my new profound height he towers over me. His raven black hair is cropped short yet still manages to be messy and hang in his face. His dark skin runs perfectly over his outlined muscles, which I comment to myself to watch out for. As I press into the corner, whimpering, he looks as if I have slapped him across the face. His eyes search mine, desperate for me to understand something.
"No, it´s alright! I-" Leah barges into the bathroom, pushing him aside, and runs to me.
"Caroline, its ok," she sooths, brushing the hair that has fallen into my face out of the way. "He was just binging you a towel and some soap." I notice the towel and soap in his hands and calm down, but I am still shaking from the encounter. Leah gets up, grabs the items and places them on the counter.
"Take you bath," she says softly. "No one will bother you." With that she drags the man out of the room and shuts the door behind her.
"I told you to make sure she heard you enter the room!" Leah hisses wildly at him. I press my ear against the door to hear better.
"I did!" He bites back causing me to flinch. "I opened the door and walked around for a while thinking she heard me!"
Leah sighs. "She must have been in her own world." She sounds tired but her voice stays strong. "Just. Be more careful around her," she scolds. "She´s terrified of men." The conversation drifts out of the room and into the hallway.
Glancing back at the tub, I notice the water is about to spill over. As fast as I can, I turn the knob off and reach into the steaming water to pull up the drain. Water spills over, drenching my clothes. I sigh in frustration as I undress and sink down into the tub.
The water encloses my body, licking at my scars. After the pain turns into pleasure, I drift off into my special little world.
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"I can´t believe no one showed up!" I pouted to my mom as we drove home. It was my thirteenth birthday and I had made plans with six of my best friends to go to the movies. I had even put in the effort to do my hair and wear one of my best summer dresses. But they all canceled at the last minute. And when I say last minute, I mean 10 minutes before the movie started!
My mom smiled, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "I´m sure they´ll make it up to you darling." Her southern accent calmed me down instantly.
I sighed heavily for dramatic measure. "What are we going to do now? We hadn´t planned to do anything until tomorrow." I glanced at her and then quickly back to the road. Something was up, I knew it.
"We could always just chill." I grumbled at her using a hip word.
The car pulled up to the house and I instantly jumped out, stomping up to the door. I screamed when the door swung open unexpectedly.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROLINE!!" thousands of people yelled at once. My best friend Crystal came up to me hugging me furiously and dragged me into the house. I was bombarded with presents, hugs, kisses, and apologies.
"You should have seen how mad you were when you got out of the car!" I heard someone yell from across the room, causing everyone else to laugh. I blushed insanely and managed to chuckle in spite of myself.
For such a small house, I was surprised at how many people my parents succeeded to fit in it.
While everyone was enjoying themselves, there was a light knock on the door. The sound of the party was muffled as I made my way to the door. Opening the door, time slowed down and all sound was gone. Outside stood my abuser, smiling down at me.
I am pulled out of my dream by another soft knock on the door. I have never had him in any of my dreams before.
"Caroline? Are you ok?" A soft female voice asks from the other side of the door. I know it isn´t Leah by the way it flows.
"Ye-yes." I stutter standing up and wrapping myself in the towel. "Did I take too long?" I wince hoping I didn´t fallen asleep for too long.
"No," a light chuckle follows. "I have some new clothes for you. They´re straight from the dryer."
I smile to myself. "Can you, um, leave them on the bed?" I ask timidly.
"Sure, but I´d like to talk to you afterwards. I´ll be out in the hallway."
I wait until I hear the door close before peaking into the bedroom. Once I make sure the coast is clear, I limp over to the bed and hastily throw on the new clothes. The shirt is baggy and barely reaches the top of the sweats, which I have to tie tightly so they won´t fall off.
There is a knock at the door. "May I come in?" asks the voice from before.
"Yes," my voice cracks and I lightly blush.
The door opens slightly and she enters the room, closing the door gently behind her. She is astonishing; her flowing blonde hair seems to blow in a none existent wind, her body is the one that men lust and women envy. Her walk is so graceful that as she walks towards me, it is as if she is walking on water.
She barely makes an impression on the bed as she sits down next to me. "Sorry that the clothes don´t fit." I nod, embarrassed . So, how are you?" Her topaz eyes bore into mine.
"I am fine." I lie, tearing my eyes away from hers.
She chuckles bitterly. "No on is fine after something like that happens to them."
I blush deeply and she gently grabs my hand. "I know what you´re going through." I yank my hand out of hers, angry that she would say she knows how I feel. "What happened to me wasn´t as bad as what happened to you, but it´s still unforgiveable." My anger turns into curiosity at these words.
"What happened to you?" I whisper looking at my boney hands.
"I can´t tell you the whole story just yet," I look up at her, my eyes questioning. "But," she continues, "The gist is that I was raped by my fiancé and his friends one night walking home."
"Fiancé? But you´re so young! When did this-
"Like I said, I can´t tell you the whole story now. But you will know in time." She gives me a small smile and pats my hand.
The door opens a crack and the man from before sticks his head in. He is looking at me and only me, his eyes still full of hurt. The woman next to me stands up, her fists clenching at her side.
"Get out mutt." She hisses furiously.
"I just wanted to apoli-
"Get. Out!" and with that his head retreats and the door closes.
When she sees my terrified face, hers softens and she sighs sadly.
"Listen-
"Why did you call him 'mutt'?" The question flies out of my mouth before I can stop it and I pray it doesn´t make her upset.
The question catchers her by surprise. "Uh, well. It´s because he´s half Native American." She rushes that last part and quickly stands back up. "Listen, I´ve got to be somewhere. But if you ever need anything, don´t bother hesitating to ask. My name is Rosalie by the way." She gives a little wave good-bye and is out the door before I can say anything.
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I wake up to the feeling of my stomach digesting itself. I groan one I see the time. Red lights scream out '2:57' through the darkness. I can wait until everyone is up. But the fact that I am allowed to leave my room and get my own food quickly changes my mind.
I hop out of bed; pull on the robe Rosalie gave me earlier, and made my way into the hallway. The kitchen shouldn´t be too hard to find. Right? The hallway is dark except for the moon seeping in through the windows. Goosebumps quickly form on my frail figure and I pull the robe closer to my body. As I make my way towards the stairs, I hear a pair of voices in a heated but quiet argument. I jump at the sound, but quickly regain myself, scooting closer to the stairs to hear better.
"I know what she´s going through! I should be the one to do it!" Rosalie hisses.
"She´s my imprintee! I need to defend her!" a male voice bites back. I recognize the voice as the man who continues to look hurt in my presence.
I can´t hear what they´re saying too well, so I creep down the stairs. But one of the steps creaks, giving me away. The whispers stop immediately and Rosalie is instantly at the stairs.
"What are you doing up so early?" Her voice is bitter sweet, obviously still heated from the argument. I notice that she is still fully clothed and shows no sign of being tired.
"I-well-I" my stomach answers for me and Rosalie smiles, unfolding her crossed arms.
"Embry," she calls without taking her eyes off of me. "Why don´t you make something for Caroline to eat." A light goes on in the kitchen and the sounds of cooking flows through out the house.
I walk down the rest of the stairs to Rosalie and we walk towards the kitchen.
"Why were you two talking in the dark?" The only source of light now is coming from the kitchen.
"We didn´t want to wake anyone up." We sit down at the circular breakfast table while the man, Embry was it?, makes bacon and eggs.
"And what do you need to do that he feels like he needs to defend?" Another question just slips out of my mouth, catching us both off guard.
"What are you going on about Caroline?" Rosalie quickly glances over at Embry who is now standing still, watching me. He starts back up again, acting as if he never stopped.
"I heard you two talking. Unless I´m hearing voices in my head." I didn´t mean to say that out loud too!
"How did she hear us whispering if she was up stairs?" Embry whispers so low that I almost can´t hear it.
"Shut it mutt." Rosalie´s lips barely move as she whispers back to him.
"Why are you so worried about me hearing you talking?" Embry drops something, causing me to jump.
The screen door leading outside opens and in walks Leah looking absolutely exhausted. She scowls at Rosalie, smiles at me, and grins wickedly at Embry.
"Well well. I always knew our little Embry would one day become the house wife." Rosalie laughs and I turn around to find Embry wearing a pink apron around his jeans. He´s not wearing a shirt! How different he is from him, my abuser. Though both of them have muscles, Embry´s look warm and inviting other than dangerous. I watch, entranced, as he flips the bacon; his muscles moving gracefully. I snap quickly out of it. Jeez, he´s got to be at least twenty-six.
"Its always been my dream," he says in a high voice as he walks over to the table with three plates of food. My plate is full to the brim, but it is nothing compared to his and Leah´s plates. Embry winks at me playfully as I pass him my leftovers. My stomach lurches; in a good way.
So, what did you think? I´ve brought Embry into the story! I was trying to keep him funny, like he always is, but it´s kind of hard because he´s worried about Caroline. But I don´t want him to be a worry pants the entire time. :/ difficult choices here :Þ
REVIEW!!! Please! And, again, throw any ideas at me! I need them!!
XOXOXO